The Best Time to Ice Fish: Timing for Peak Success

• Mirror of Morning Activity: Sunset mirrors the morning pattern, with predators like walleye and pike becoming more active as visibility drops. As daylight fades, fish take advantage of their improved low-light vision.
• Extended Panfish Action: Bluegill and crappie often feed aggressively before sunset, making the late afternoon an excellent time to catch them.
• Setup for Success: Arrive a few hours before sunset to find prime locations, drill holes, and have lines set as dusk approaches. 

Night fishing offers another opportunity to catch species like walleye, crappie, and trout. Knowing the right techniques and species-specific behaviors can boost your success rate significantly.

• Walleye: Known for excellent night vision, walleye are most active after dark. Use glow-in-the-dark, UV jigs or minnows and focus on areas near weed lines or drop-offs.
• Crappie: Crappie also feed at night. They often suspend in the water column, so target mid-depths with glow-in-the-dark, UV jigs or subtle flashing lures.
• Trout: Trout typically move up in the water column at night, often ambushing prey from below. Use brightly lit or glow-in-the-dark, UV lures, and fish higher than usual.

Moon phases influence fish activity, especially for night fishing. Fish tend to feed actively around moonrise, moonset, and when the moon is overhead or underfoot.

Moonrise and Moonset

• Increased Light Levels: Moonrise and moonset can slightly increase light, which draws predators like walleye and pike into active hunting.
• Optimal Timing: Plan night trips to start at moonrise or an hour before moonset to maximize these naturally active periods.

Overhead and Underfoot Moon Phases

• Enhanced Feeding: When the moon is directly overhead or underfoot, fish exhibit more feeding behavior, though the exact reasons are still being studied. These times are particularly effective for predatory fish.
• Planning Your Trip: Use lunar tracking tools to schedule your fishing trip during these phases for higher chances of activity.

Different fish species have unique behaviors, which affect the best times to catch them under the ice. Here’s a breakdown by popular species:

Walleye

• Prime Times: Walleye are most active at dawn, dusk, and at night. Their low-light vision makes them prime targets during these times.
• Suggested Lures: Use glow-in-the-dark, UV jigs or spoons tipped with minnows. Target depths of 10-25 feet near weed edges or drop-offs. Check out our guide on the Best Ice Fishing Lures for Walleye

Learn more about Ice Fishing for Walleye

Crappie

• Morning, Evening and Night: Crappie become active at dusk and continue feeding well into the night. They’re often found suspended in mid-water, following schools of baitfish or eating aquatic insects. On overcast days, good action can be had all day.
• Best Setup: Use glow jigs tipped with waxworms or minnows, and fish above detected schools to draw strikes from below. Check out our guide on the Best Ice Fishing Lures for Crappie

Learn more about Ice Fishing for Crappie

Pike

• All-Day Action: Unlike other species, pike may strike throughout the day, especially during overcast conditions, but dawn and dusk provide peak activity.
• Lure Recommendations: Use large, flashy spoons, dead bait, or live baitfish on tip-ups. Target areas with vegetation or shallow flats near deep waters.

Trout

• All Day Action: Trout are active all day, with dawn and after dark being the best times, especially in areas with open water or oxygen-rich zones. Brook and lake trout are particularly aggressive during these times.
• Effective Techniques: Fish with small, bright jigs tipped with waxworms or glow lures in mid-to-upper water levels, as trout often move up at night.

• Adjust for Overcast Days: Cloudy, overcast days extend the low-light feeding periods, often improving fishing success throughout the day.
• Watch for Storms: Fish tend to become more active right before a storm or significant weather change, as barometric pressure drops. This period can be highly productive for all species.
• Pre-Trip Planning: Use fish-finding electronics, contour maps, local fishing reports, and lunar tracking apps to plan your trip around peak times, moon phases, and weather changes.